Solo
by Lina Trinch
Summary: Six is leaving for a late night mission... and might not come back. Holix. Oneshot.


**AND ANOTHER ONESHOT!**

**This one may end up in the angsty territory, we don't know yet. It's gonna be dark and romantic and good though... So enjoy that!**

**Oh and yes, that is Swat!Six in the present, people. Yeah.**

**o0o**

It's been a long time...

...

... Nah, it hasn't really been that long. Just seems like it.

Six, who was sitting on the edge of his bed, brought his leg up to finish lacing the combat boot. After that was finished, he stood, checking the pockets on his chest again, making sure everything was where it should be.

As always, it was.

He was just a little nervous about this.

It's not like this was his first time, though.

He sighed again and walked over to the dresser in his room, where his katanas lay. It had been a while, though. The alterations done to his old, feild outfit, was that there were two sheaths strapped to his back instead of one.

The thought did cross his mind of just bringing one sword, but it felt weird now. Sure, he could handle one as perfectly as breathing, but it just didn't feel normal.

There had to be at least one thing around to make him feel a little normal about this. To make him feel like...

Instead of flicking the swords to hide away in their hilt, he sheathed them to his back.

There also had to be something to remind him of the old days, too. Maybe he could believe that he hadn't really changed all that much during the past few years and the mission could be handled... more smoothly.

After lingering for a second, he picked up his gloves and walked out of the room. His clock glaring a red 3:09 to his back.

The base was quiet and dark. How he preferred it.

His feet led him to one of the many doors. It slid open a little, revealing the darkness inside. Six could barely make Rex out, laying fully clothed on the bed, one leg hanging off, iPod blaring in his ears, and drool sliding across his face. The man's eyes rolled behind his shades.

He stood there for a second, wondering if he should at least turn the music off that would no doubt leave the teen half deaf in the morning. Eventually, deciding that it was just best not to wake him or anything, he quietly left. The kid'll be fine.

While walking down the hall, Six started the task of pulling a glove on. For some reason, it was a difficult one. Was he that nervous? Did he just forget how to put gloves on? Was there something else on his mind? Other than the mission?

With an annoyed yank, he finally managed to get one on. A tired sigh escaped him. He wasn't physically tired or mentally. It was just... his life... it was exhausting. It wasn't so much Providence as it was him. As it was the numbers. The hunts. All of the people that had to be kept at a distance and all of the people he couldn't afford to be left out of his sight. The constant protecting. The constant killing.

He learned long ago that thoughts like that usually ended up with someone dead and it was never someone that was on the 'other side'. It was always someone on his side.

But that was the thing. He wasn't tired of himself being in constant danger. He was tired that the people he loved was in constant danger, because of him. Because he cared about them.

One day, though, those thoughts were going to get _him_ killed.

A soft, chuckle woke him from his trance. Upon looking up, he realized that his feet had wondered him into Holiday's lab and, not really that surprisingly, the woman was still awake and standing in front of him. "I honestly thought that you had burned that outfit," she said, tiredly looking him up and down with a small smile.

She wasn't usually up this late, but it wasn't unlike her either. He wasn't surprised to find her there in the least. So, why did he walk in here?

Ignoring the whispering in his head, Six looked away from her and back to the task at hand. Putting on the other glove. It was barely slipping over his fingers... Maybe they just didn't fit anymore or something. "It comes in handy every now, then," he answered her comment. The last thing he needed right now was to run into her. Then again, why else would he come in here?

While his mind was starting to cut flips and his body was having a death match with a glove, two warm hands wrapped around his half bare one. "What's going on, Six?," she whispered. He didn't have to look up to know that she was serious, so he didn't.

"A mission," he answered, trying to ignore her and get back to the glove.

"At three o'clock in the morning, without Rex," she continued to whisper. It wasn't so much a question as it was a statement. Holiday had only to glance at him and she somehow knew what was going on. He hated how obvious he felt around her.

"A solo mission," he clarified, playing dumb.

A glance up to her confirmed his suspicions. She was glaring holes in his head, trying to figure out exactly what was going on, since she also knew that he wouldn't come out and say it. He seen the answer click, when her eyes slightly widened.

"The numbers," she stated, figuring out the answer through a process of elimination. Someone had worked themselves up through the ranks and was now the new Seven.

Six didn't answer her. Trying to deny something to her was difficult and he just didn't feel like it right now.

A question immediatly came to her mind, since she knew that Six was far from messing with all that stuff anymore. "But why are you going-?"

"It's best to go find them," he answered, "Before they find me."

"What makes you so sure they'll come for you?," she argued. Six was out of it, maybe this new Seven would get wise, too.

"What makes you sure that they won't?," he argued back, "This isn't really something that's up for debate, Doctor."

She still looked stubborn, but she didn't say anything. Six could practically see her mind working.

"Why right now?," she asked him, "In the middle of the night? When no else is around and no backup there in case you need it?"

"I don't need more people dieing for my mistakes," he said, ignoring where she was getting at.

She just continued, "Why without telling anyone, though? Just run off in the middle of the night?" He could tell she was starting to get angry, which she had every right to be.

Wait, no, she didn't. Why did he have to tell her where he was going? If he wanted to go bowling in the middle of the night, he could. He didn't have to tell her. But, then that was the thing. That was her viewpoint. This wasn't...

"No one had to know," he answered, ignoring the elephant in the room, "I should be back before dawn."

"Should," she scoffed, "And if you're not?"

"Then, I'll be late."

Her glare didn't waver, as he yanked his hand away, finally managing to put his glove on.

"Six."

He didn't look at her. He didn't need nor want to fight with her right now. Not right now. "It's not up for debate, Doctor."

"Don't go," he heard her whisper, which wasn't exactly the words or tone he was expecting. Finally, he looked back to her, noticing the sadness and slight determination in her eyes. She knew very well what was going on.

He stayed quiet, trying to decide on what to do or say. Eventually, he answered, "I have to," but he made no movements to leave. This was why he was distracted. This was why he walked in here and checked on Rex.

But if he thought about it... then he wouldn't want to go and handle the situation. The fact that he had to made it inevitable and what he wanted was irrelevant... as always.

"You don't have to," she pleaded, "You left that life behind you-"

"It's never going to be behind me," he said, "Just because I stopped killing them, doesn't make my rank disappear."

"But you don't want it," she told him, her voice slightly louder that time.

"Doesn't matter," he told her, "I'm still the sixth deadliest in the world and there is a lot of people that will kill for that number."

Her eyes grew soft. "Why?," she breathed, "Why would anyone want that? Why did you?"

"For most, it was accident. Just numbered in a war or something-"

"But that doesn't-"

"There's a lot of reasons," he interrupted, "The biggest of which is boredom and stupidity."

She opened her mouth to say something again, but quickly closed her eyes and turned her head away from him. "Before dawn?"

"Before dawn."

"You promise?"

He didn't answer right away, trying to decide on what exactly to say. "I may be... a little late."

Her fist clenched and she bit her lip. Not for the first time in his life, Six wondered if she was about to punch him. He had wondered that a few times and once she actually did it. He was too stunned to dodge or block, so he just took it. Now, he would take it, just because he felt he deserved it.

But nothing happened. No punch came. No smart remark. No screaming. No tears. She didn't do anything, but continue to try and cringe into herself.

What he wanted was irrelevant, but he couldn't handle this one. This is not what he wanted. He didn't want this to be his last memory of her. He wanted to see her smile. He wanted to see her eyes sparkle. He wanted to see her laugh.

On impulse, deciding that if he was going to leave, he might as well do something that he wanted, Six reached up and took off his shades.

"Christine," he breathed.

Her eyes snapped open. She had never heard him use her real name before, but that thought was quickly forgotten as she realized that she had also never seen his eyes before or that... he had never stood this close to her before... or looked at her like that...

Very slowly, he leaned closer, his hand slowly reaching up to her neck, as his lips lightly brushed against hers.

Her hands shot up to his shoulders, stopping him. "You've never done this before," she said, starting to shake, "Don't start now-"

He cut her off by pressing his lips against her's, harder this time. He needed this. Just once. He needed it.

It took barely a second until she sank into his kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, opening her mouth for him. His other arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him and deepening the kiss that he should have had a long time ago.

After a few seconds, he pulled back from her, realizing that she was now crying. "Six," she breathed.

"I'll be back," he told her, voice still husky from the lingering passion, "I might be late, but I'll be back." For some reason, if he died in those numbers, he didn't want her to know. He didn't want anyone to know. He didn't know why, but he knew it was true.

She could tell when he was lying with those damn shades, she could sure as hell tell when he was lying without them. "Promise me."

His eyes flickered, as he quickly thought it over. Well, dying tonight was no longer an option. "I promise."

Another tear spilled from her eyes and he quickly kissed it away, leaning his forehead against hers. After another few seconds, his eyes fluttered closed and he knew what was next.

Six's hand left her neck and keeping his eyes closed, he pulled out of her embrace and walked pass her, sliding the shades back on.

"Don't die," she breathed after him.

He stopped walking.

"You promised," she breathed again.

"I'm not planning on it," he answered and tilted his head to look at her back. "My name's Li, by the way." He also didn't want her to always remember him as his rank, as that damned number.

After the thought registered, she turned around.

He was gone.

Two and half hours later, she still sat at her desk, staring out into the petting zoo. Her eyes stayed glued to the skylights, that were starting to turn blue and almost orange. She hadn't left. She was waiting.

Her eyes glanced down to her desk. He promised.

Suddenly, a Starbucks cup appeared in her line of sight. "Sorry, I'm late. Thought I'd stop and get you something," Six said, leaning against her desk. He knew that she always complained about not having decent coffee around when she needed it. Considering that she waited up the entire night, he figured she needed it. "You won't believe the looks I got."

Her eyes traveled to her side, to see Six, just as casually as ever leaning against her desk. Only, he was still in his feild outfit with a few rips in it and a small cut across his cheek.

She quickly stood and wrapped her arms around him. "I can only imagine," she grinned to his last comment, letting a tear escape, "Thanks for the coffee."

"Don't worry about it," he whispered back, letting his arms wrap around her.

He couldn't afford her getting hurt, because of him, but he couldn't let her get out of his sight either. After last night, he figured that he might as well just go with the latter one.

**o0o**

**Heh? How was that?**

**I suppose this could be considered pre-Breakeven, since I have their names from that in here. But I needed names, so since I already made some up for them, I figured I'd use them again. Meh, it works.**

**I have like 3 other chapter fics planned, that might just turn into oneshots (I doubt they'll all happen) and one other oneshot planned (again, there's a doubt) and, of course, I have to do my Secret Santa thing. I already have the fic planned out and it's gonna be pretty good. Just gotta write it before Dec. 15th.**

**I may add another chap to this, which will be the fight against Six and Seven. Don't know yet. I'll see what your feedback says and decide from there. If you haven't noticed, I still have a lot to do.**

**Anywhosels, if that's a word.**

**Read and Review ^.^**


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